The present invention relates to an abrading apparatus and to a process for its manufacture. More specifically, this invention relates to a tire abrading tool made from sheet stock and designed to provide a discontinuous abrading surface along the exterior portions of the tool, and to a process form making such a tool.
In the tire industry, tire abrading tools or rasps are used to prepare the surface of a tire for repair operations. Such tools are used to remove worn tread or sidewalls and to otherwise condition areas of a tire surface in preparation for recapping, retreading or other operations in which new rubber is applied to the tire surface. Tools of this general type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,461,376; 2,979,123; 2,996,109; 3,259,959; and 3,420,010.
These tools are generally designed with surfaces which act on the tire surfaces to remove excess old rubber and also act to roughen or otherwise condition the abraded surface of the tire to effectively bind the new rubber applied in the vulcanizing repair or recapping operation.
The treatment or preparation of tire carcasses in this manner presents several problems which must be considered in the design and manufacture of tire abrading tools. Substantial heat is generated in the abrading process, which tends to melt or burn the rubber surface causing reversion of the rubber material and impeding the abrading action. Such heat also tends to materially reduce the useful life of the abrading surface of tools used for this purpose. Moreover, considerable amounts of rubber particles, dust and smoke are produced which also tend to interfere with the abrading process and from which the tool operator must be protected.
Heretofore, however, abrading tools or rasps designed to avoid some of these problems, have been relatively expensive to manufacture.